| 363 | RECORD OF THE MEETING |
| | | The record of the meeting held on 29 July 2004 was agreed and signed by the Chairman as correct subject to Councillor David Coomber being added to the apologies. |
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| 364 | LOCAL INVESTIGATION AND DETERMINATION OF COMPLAINTS AGAINST MEMBERS OF MEDWAY COUNCIL AND PARISHES WITHIN MEDWAY |
| | Discussion: |
| | | The Monitoring Officer presented a report that advised members of the new regulations, which allow the Standards Board for England to refer certain complaints to local authorities for local determination. It was noted that under the council's constitution the Standards Board for England is responsible for hearing complaints against members of this council and parish councils within Medway referred to them by the Standards Board for England and for approving procedures for this process. |
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| | > Local investigation and determination of complaints against members of Medway Council and Parishes within Medway (pdf file 17.9kb) |
| | Decision: |
| | | | (i) | That members note the introduction of the procedures for local determination.
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| | (ii) | That members authorise the Monitoring Officer, in consultation with members of the committee, to revise Medway Standards Committee procedures for local determination of complaints to accord with the regulations and guidance referred to in the report.
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| | (iii) | That the Monitoring Officer update all elected members on changes to these procedures and in particular that the Monitoring Officer invite all parish clerks to the next Standards Committee meeting to discuss these issues.
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| | (iv) | That the Standards Committee meeting on 6 January 2005 is used as a training session for members of the committee on the conduct of local investigations.
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| | (v) | That the Monitoring Officer further investigate proposals to indemnify members, as set out in the draft regulations referred to in the report. |
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| 365 | WORK PROGRAMME AND UPDATE ON STANDARDS ISSUES |
| | > Work Programme and update on Standards issues (pdf file 12.6kb) |
| | > Appendix 1 - Whistleblowing (pdf file 18.9kb) |
| | | The Chairman and Tony Dance (Independent member) gave members a verbal update on the work of the Kent and Medway Independent Members Forum, especially noting that the Ethical Standards Officer from the Standards Board for England had attended the last meeting. |
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| | Discussion: |
| | | Tony Dance (Independent member) and the Monitoring Officer gave members a verbal report after attending the Annual Assembly of Standards Committees held in Birmingham on 13 and 14 September. It was noted that the Assembly was well organised and one of the main issues was the attempts to mainstream ethical standards. |
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| | Decision: |
| | | That the Monitoring Officer develop a standard note to be presented to new co-opted parish members regarding the Medway code of conduct. |
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| | Discussion: |
| | | The Monitoring Officer presented a report setting out the council's whistleblowing policy as requested at the previous meeting. |
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| | Decision: |
| | | That the telephone number in the council's whistleblowing policy for Public Concern for Work be amended and the Monitoring Officer check that public concern for work still exists. |
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| | Discussion: |
| | | The Monitoring Officer informed members that interviews for the vacant place for a new independent member had been held and subsequently proposed that Christine Johnson should be appointed as independent member to the Standards Committee. |
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| | Decision: |
| | | That the Standards Committee propose to council on 9 December 2004 that Christine Johnson is appointed to the Standards Committee. |
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